Colby Deal

Colby Deal is a photographic artist born and raised in Houston, Texas and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in the practice of photography from The University of Houston. Deal was recently inducted in the Magnum Photo agency for his ventures in documentary photography, joining many of the greats we admire today. He is an alumni of Project Row Houses residency, Red Line Contemporary Art Center residency in Denver, Colorado and has recently been awarded an exhibition at the Houston Museum of African American Culture. His most recent accomplishment of being invited to the 2021 Whitney Biennial in New York City is a feat he is most proud of. Within his practice he explores the culmination of elements of the psychological environment as well as the physical. He shows the dynamic range of family, community and the individual by combining street photography and portraiture to capture vibrant communities. In the recent years he has incorporated the medium of sculpture and public art as a means of preserving cultural characteristics that are being erased and positively influencing his community and others alike. Colby is directly inspired by his upbringing through getting to see his family’s photographs that were mostly taken by his father. This appreciation for slowing down and concentrating on photographing what’s right in front of him, “The Now”, has led him to be more in touch with using analog photography.